A Big Thank You…

A Big Thank You…

It is always a pleasure to thank our volunteers and benefactors and to share the amazing results that your support has made possible in the previous year. This year our appreciation is powerfully expressed by a Christmas card that we received from one of our clients. The client is a single mom with a 3 year old who is now in our Phase 2 Transitional Support Program. The cover of the card had a single word, “Believe”. Her note is “to IHN” and I am relaying it to you all:

Thank you so much of for all of your help over the years. J. (her son) and I are very thankful

for you all. We are so very blessed. You came into our life when we needed you the most

and never left. Thank you again!

There is a simple heart drawn by the mom and the note is signed by her and, in his best 3 year old printing, by her child. What more can I say.

Our 2013 statistical report shows that our agency served a total of 44 Somerset County families, 106 individuals 59 of whom were children. As is always the case, the majority of the children were age 5 and under. Nineteen of the families received professional mental health services through our Sound Minds Program, 18 parents who were unemployed secured employment and the most important statistic of all, 100% of the families in Sunrise House, Phase 2 and Phase 3 Programs are maintaining independence. Our mission is to empower homeless families to achieve independence. We strive to make their homelessness a one- time experience. This happens because of you; our amazing support network. Thanks to you, we have developed a complete continuum of care services that increases the number of Somerset County families we serve each year.

I will keep and cherish that Christmas card. It will be a reminder to myself and the staff of why we do what we do. I invite you to keep and cherish the image of that card to remind you of the impact that you have on vulnerable families.